E-Commerce is making the world go ’round. But your company’s web design could be hampering download speeds and user interaction. You should be aware that “one in four people abandon a web page that takes more than four seconds to load.”
Changing design trends are trying to keep pace with technology. Here are a few of those trends you should know about.
Devices
Most companies have recognized that user experience on a website is one of the dominant factors in how long they stay on the site, which directly connects to conversion rates. The result? Responsive web design. It’s one of the most notable trends being seen in web design in 2013.
As consumers, we look for engaging content that is easy to consume. Thanks to limited real estate on a smartphone, often a company’s homepage just doesn’t fit. But it would cost a fortune to develop a new website for every device out there.
With responsive design, the original site is set up to recognize the size of the device being used to view it. Great for designers and great for companies, this is one trend that isn’t likely to leave the scene anytime soon.
More mobile implications
BIG buttons may not be in vogue on the runways, but they are all the rage in web design trends of 2013. “Touch and Tap” is a familiar phrase for smartphone users, and it’s a great feature because it makes the experience smoother on a mobile device.
Unfortunately, those aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-use buttons require a lot of graphics, which inevitably slows down the website. This dilemma pits different facets of user experience against one another: designers will have to come up with some pretty creative maneuvering to come up with what people want while delivering the speeds they expect.
Technical fixes
Other major players in the blame game for slow website downloads include poor website compression, bad web hosting, lengthy code, and spam. Web designers need to go back to addressing the nuts and bolts of coding, choosing reliable web hosting companies (remember, free or cheap is not always better, and could cost much more in the long run).
Another easy fix? Check the Internet connection speed. This is perhaps the easiest fix of all.
Keeping up with the technology, the speed expectations, and the growing demand for Internet-based consumables can be a feat. Luckily, that same Internet can provide the information and guidance that will make for savvy eCommerce decisions and lead to greater success.
